“What a spectacle of rugby that was, what an advert for Cumbrian rugby” was how Whitehaven head coach Anthony Murray summed up the 2025 Ike Southward Memorial Trophy battle.
His young and mostly untested Haven team pulled an unexpected victory over Jonty Gorley’s Workington Town at the Ortus Rec.
With a bumper turnout of 1,745 vocal supporters from both clubs packed in, referee Denton Arnold delayed kick-off by 10 minutes to ease the queue into the Rec, and it was worth the wait with fans of both sides treated to an intense, pulsating and sometimes feisty battle.
The Ike is “never a friendly” and there were big hits from both sides in the opening minutes as Haven and Town sized each other up.
There had been much talk of the inexperience of the Haven squad, mostly but not exclusively recruited from Cumbria’s amateur rugby league clubs, and Town were the bookies favourite going into the game after a very good showing at Barrow Raiders the week before.
However, it was Haven who re-wrote the script and opened the scoring when former Millom player and England Community Lion Rio McQuistan set up the impressive Kieran Tyrer who dived in by the sticks after just six minutes, converting his own try for a 6-0 lead.
Haven then continued to dominate field position, with the experienced pair of Jordan Thompson and captain Jordan Burns (both recruited back to Haven from Town) crucial to Murray’s game plan.
As the half continued, Town began to get into the match and some neat passing and good support play drove Town forwards on the right win, and weaving run from Sam Fulton set up Dom Wear to pass on to Ellis Archer who went in under the sticks, converting his own try for parity at 6-6.
Haven replied almost immediately as Town gave away a series of penalties. Whitehaven secured a good attacking position on the right wing at the Railway End, where centre Chris Taylor’s lovely pass put trialist Mitchell Todd over for a well taken try by the corner flag, giving Whitehaven back the lead at 10-6.
Tyrer tried to extend the lead just before the hooter sounded when Haven’s Clarke Chambers was upended, but his long range penalty kick hit the crossbar, and as the Rec held it’s collective breath, rolled along it’s length before agonisingly slipping backwards onto the field of play. It was 10-6 to Haven at half time.
This club……
— Whitehaven Rugby League (@OfficialHavenRl) January 19, 2025
That’s it that’s the tweet #WeareHaven pic.twitter.com/V2I7PhmXYa
Town started the second 40 minutes strongly and took the lead with a converted try from Jake Bradley on 53 minutes which Ciaran Walker converted, giving Town a 10-12 lead.
Haven regrouped and again began to dominate, and with the crowd roaring on both teams, when Haven’s Jack Newbegin was hit by a late tackle, Man of the Match Tyrer had another chance to slot home a penalty goal, and he took this one, levelling the score at Haven 12, Town 12.
With the game tied, the Rec was a wall of noise, but it was the Haven side who looked the more disciplined and organised despite the efforts of Town’s Zarrin Galea who never stopped running, and a massive contribution from interchange Grant Reid on from the bench.
With time ticking down, the introduction of veteran prop Brad Brennan into the Haven pack (with Brennan also recruited to Haven from Town) had an immediate impact and Haven put pressure on the Town try line with Newbegin going close, before Haven set up Brennan who forced his way over for a try converted by Tyrer for what was the final score of Whitehaven 18, Workington Town 12 as the referee brought the game to a close, and the bragging rights and Ike Southward Trophy were back in Whitehaven.
Highlights to come later on today but here’s captain Jordan Burns lifting the Ike Southward Memorial Trophy following yesterday’s 18-12 victory. Something tells us the boys enjoyed that #WeareHaven pic.twitter.com/T7iGjqo1WF
— Whitehaven Rugby League (@OfficialHavenRl) January 20, 2025
WHITEHAVEN 1. Jordan Burns 2. Mitchell Todd 3. Chris Taylor 4. Ethan Bickerdike 5.Jay Weatherill 6. Kieran Tyrer 26. Jack Newbegin 8. Jake Pearce 9. Ellison Holgate 10. Jordan Thomson 11. Connor Holliday 19. Rio McQuistan 13. Jack Kellett Interchanges (all used) 12. Clarke Chambers 14. Luke Collins 15. Mason Lewthwaite 16. Brad Brennan 17. Karl Garner 18. Aaron Turnbull
WORKINGTON TOWN 1. Zarrin Galea 2. Levi Atiga 14. Spencer Fulton 3. Rio Corkill 5. Jonny Hutton 15. Cole Walker-Taylor 7. Dom Wear 25. Callum Farrer 9. Jamie Doran 13. Jack Stephenson 17. Caine Barnes 12. Jake Bradley 22. Ellis Archer Interchanges (all used) 16. Guy Graham 11. Cooper Howlett 19. Grant Reid 6. Ciaran Walker 27. Brad Long 29. Jude Lupton
